Sunday, April 24, 2011

Back to the Rippers campaign for a bit… last week I was a bit distracted so we played a quick fantasy skirmish (which I took pictures of… but didn’t bother posting any…). Actually the main reason why we were back to Rippers was because I really wanted to play a skirmish sort of game with all these Zulus I’ve been painting and I didn’t think I’d get the Saturday Savages to go for making new characters for a strictly historical skirmish campaign set during the Zulu War or 1879…. The Rippers characters are the same era and could easily be sent to South Africa…

We still haven’t found a new name that I’d like to replace “Rippers” with. “Rippers” just seems not-so-very-victorian to me… I was thinking something like League of Extraordinary Gentlemen… except… well… NOT!

One I had thought of was The Ministry of Paranormal Research and Defence (sort of a mix of the "Ministry of Magic" from Harry Potter and B.P.R.D. from the Hellboy comics...!?). Alternatively I could be the Military Intelligence Department X (Although M.I.5 wasn't formed until 1909...). There was the Special Branch – these could be members of the EXTRA Special Branch… maybe that’s a bit silly….

These all seem very... well... BRITISH (The Ministry would probably be a secret cabinet position - or operate completely separate from the regular government - like the Ministry of Magic in Harry Potter – the minister being appointed by the Queen herself). They also kind of take it away from being and international brotherhood of a masonic nature that transcends the rule of governments to fight for the better good.... which may or may not be a good thing.

I'm still taking suggestions.

Order of the.... somthing...?

In Weird War Two there's the Sons of Solomon - an organization that goes back millennia - whose members vow to oppose supernatural evil in all it's forms...? I guess I could use that.

Anyway… last nights adventure…

[Zululand, 1877]

SITUATION

Our heroes have traveled to the Cape Colony where the local lodge has reported trouble with werewolves along the Transvaal-Zululand border. Their travels took them to the Kalamba Mountains and then south into disputed lands along the border. While some of the werewolves were among the Boer settlers and were quickly dealt with, their hunt took them deeper into Zululand and to their horror they discovered the leader of the pack was the son of a prominent inkhosi. The Zulus didn’t take kindly to what they saw as European assassins hunting their people and decided to do away with them.

SCENARIO

Our Heroes and their companions are being hotly pursued by a Zulu war party. Werewolves may also be in the region – they must retreat across the Phogolo River on the north edge of the table.

Turn One: The Zulus with muskets when first and shot one of the Natal Native Guides

The Zulu Warriors surge forward!

Our Heroes make a run for it – the fleet-footed leader of the Wolfenjäger and the veteran vampaire hunter taking the lead! (cowards)

Two of the Boer settlers were shot by Zulus and the rest of the unit failed a moral test…

Heinrich Neudorf is intercepted by a pack of wolves!

Sadie MacEwan comes to the young leaders aide.

Three of the Boers recovered and scarpered – three others were over-taken by the Zulus – they actually lasted two turns, but eventually were chopped to bits…

A Greater Werewolf made an appearance but was taken apart by the Wolfenjäger.

MacEwan then starts beating on the other wolves too…

The Zulus surge forward again.

The remaining Boers executing a desperate fighting retreat… trying to buy time for the Wolfenjägers fighting the werewolf.

MacEwan and Neudorf finishing of the wolves.

The Wolfenjägers were dealt a joker and took down the werewolf… but it was too late the next turn they were overtaken by the Zulus and massacred.

The last dash to the table edge and the drift across the Phogolo River!

Neudorf was the first off – a turn or two ahead of everyone else – abandoning his fellow wolfenjägers to their doom… ah well… he’s not LOYAL or anything…

The Preist was the next off – which was pretty damn amazing considering he’s a slow portly fellow (Pace: 5, Run: d4!).

Sadie and the Natal native guide then made it across the river with the three remaining Boers settlers.

The game was a bit of a nail-biter! With the Zulus ever surging forward it looked like they'd all be massacred by angry natives... indeed if I hadn't had the additional Wolfmen I'd thrown out retreat after the demise of their leader (the Greater Werewolf), they may very well could have all been killed... but where's the fun in that!?

Lost were five of the Boers settlers, all four Wolfenjäger, and one of the Natal Native Guides. The Zulus lost four of their warriors – plus the son of the Inkhosi (the Greater Werewolf) and a couple of his wolfie companions.

Coming soon on Savage Timmy’s Playhouse:

Hopefully some more character backgrounds for the Rippers characters (hint, hint!) and hopefully we’ll carry on with the mosnster-hunting next week!

William McClintoch was born in 1842 in the Scottish highlands, in the farming community of Lairg. His parents scratched out an existence as sheep farmers, but William caught the exploring bug early, often running off to fish or go punting with friends on the nearly Loch Shin. This wanderlust led him to Glasgow, where he heard stories of the opportunity to be had in America now that the US Civil War had ended. He stowed away on a trading vessel, and although caught, negotiated a term of service with the captain to pay for his passage. William reneged as soon as the ship reached Boston, and he immediately started moving west to the frontier. William spent several years in the American West, never staying in any one place for long, and picking up the proficiency with dual revolvers that he is known for. Eventually he worked his way out to California, leaving behind him a trail of unpaid bills and irate former partners, a few curious lawmen, and the occasional buried former enemy. Hoping that there was still some gold in the California hills, he staked what turned out to be another fruitless claim with another hapless and eventually vengeful partner. Fleeing to San Francisco, William was dazzled by tales of the opportunities to be had in China, and took passage on a steamer to Shanghai.

In Shanghai William quickly teamed up with another Scotsman by the name of Craig Johnston, and they joined the ranks of those seeking to ransack the treasures of Chinese history for profit. The duo recorded a slew of successes by raiding tombs, towns, and temples for antiquities, which they then sold for huge profits. Again, William showed a talent for utter unscrupulousness combined with a knack for getting out with all the loot at the exact right time., locals and authorities hot on their tails. It was in the farthest Northern corner of Manchuria that William and Craig learned of the fabulous mountain temple of Fang Shen, reputed to be the lost fastness of a group of wealthy monks possessed of great treasures. When they discovered the temple, they found to their horror that it was in fact inhabited by a group of fanatic martial artists. Still, William and Craig and their retainers persevered, shooting their way into the heart of the temple, where they discovered Fang Shen, the temple's master and namesake, a thoroughly ancient and evil sorceror of considerable power . William barely escaped, pursued by the reanimated corpses of his party and the temple guards that they had killed. The experience shook him, and he took passage to London, where he looked for and found others who shared his knowledge of and revulsion for the supernatural.

William is almost a stereotypical stubborn and tightfisted Scot, who is both avaricious and easliy offended. He does not care who he offends, so long as he comes out ahead. He is quite paranoid and narrow-minded, and views anyone who is not a Highlander as some sort of lesser being. He is deeply hateful of the Chinese, although he still is fluent in Mandarin, and views anyone who has any sort of martial arts training as being worthy of the most deep and virulent suspicion. William is, however, despite his flaws, deeply committed to eradicating the supernatural wherever he finds it, and will use whatever means, fair or foul, to accomplish this goal.

Monday, April 4, 2011

This past (Savage) Saturday we played Rippers. Some old characters were dug out (from our very first Savage Worlds campaign of the pre-blog era) who haven’t seen action in years, and some new character were created for the players who weren’t around then. We have quite a diverse mix now – two preachers, a Wolfenjäger, a gunslinging Scotsman and a gravedigger all took part this week.

I have to admit I hate the name “Rippers”… Doesn’t seem all that Victorian to me… or good-guy-ish… I think I shall have to rename the organization for the purposes of our campaign. International Fraternity of Monster Hunters…? League of Extraordinary Monster Hunters? (who can come up with a better name? If it’s someone in the gaming group there’s a free level-up in it for you!)

[Norway, 1875]

SITUATION

A Doctor Pedersen of Oslo came into a rare copy of Dr. Frankenstien’s notes a decade or so ago and became obsessed with the idea of reanimation. Five years ago he retired to a property he acquired in a remote northern fjord to do his work in secret. After years of ceaseless work his experiments proved successful. Unfortunately his experiment then killed him and has been terrorizing the lands nearby for some time now.

SCENARIO

The Characters have come to the area to hunt the monster and tracked it to a desolate clearing in the woods not far from his creators estate.

Characters win if they kill of otherwise subdue and prevent the escape of the creature.

The monster wins if he can get off the table…

THE GAME

The players spread themselves out around the table in an attempt to block the monsters retreat. I should have simply charge one, ploughed through them and ran off… but where’s the fun in that…

(Remember: click on the pictures for a bigger version)

The monster hunters converge on the dark clearing.

The Brave Wolfenjäger is the first into the battle.

Everyone eventually joined in…

…except the Scotsman, who preferred to fire into the melee from a way back…

The creature was eventually taken down. Short game…. But making characters took some time and I’d had a long tiring week so I was happy to kick everyone out a bit early…

Coming soon on Tim’s Miniature Wargaming Blog:

Probably more Rippers and some more character backgrounds. I’m anxious to get back to the Cthulhu campaign actually, but in the meantime we’ll probably play Rippers as it’s easiest to some up with something quickly.

I’d LIKE to play Space: 1889… but I just don’t have the time to properly prepare all the stuff I’d like to have ready for that at this time…

WE may revisit the East Front Campaign as well in the near future (again… easy to throw down a skirmish game for that…)